PEdAL ED Shawa arm warmer

The PEdAL ED Shawa armwarmers are waterproof and cut to fit you on the bike. Designed to match the Shawa jersey, they're a good option for warmer rides where you want to stay dry, or colder, faster, wetter rides.

Pros: on-the-bike cut, taped seams

Cons: the alternatives are pretty good for less cash, sizing is out

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Designed in Japan and made in Italy from a dual-layer waterproof / windproof tape-sealed fabric, the Shawa arm warmers are a good match if you've already forked out £160 for the matching Shawa jersey.

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It's hard to get excited about arm warmers, as they have one job: keep your arms warm. I have appallingly bad circulation, and with a suitable mix of merino baselayers the Shawa warmers did the job in temperatures ranging from zero to 13° C and wind, rain and sleet. That's a fair spread of conditions, and a testament to the design and fabric. They aren't 'thermal' unlike the British cyclist's go-to bad-weather arm garb, the Castelli Nanoflex Armwarmer - but with suitable layers underneath that's not an issue and means you can opt for no insulation on warmer days without boiling.

If I'd followed PEdAL ED's size guide I'd have worn the Extra-Small or Small - which I can only imagine being really tight and short. As it was the Medium was spot on for my not-buff-classic-cyclists long arms. The fabric is pretty stiff and nowhere near as stretchy as Castelli's Nanoflex, so you need to get the long cuffs sorted around your inner gloves before donning outer layers, if like me you wear several pairs. Once in place they stayed put, the upper arm grip strip doing the job well.

Out for 2 hrs at 85% heartrate - upper Zone 4 - in 3-8° C, overcast with no wind and two merino base layers under arms, I stayed perfectly warm and didn't feel uncomfortable. If you run hotter just lose a base layer.

Likewise an appallingly-grim hour out in 3-degree rain, wind and sleet proved their worth - my hands remained functional, which with my circulation is quite some feat.

£42 RRP is a lot of money, considering the logical alternative Castelli Nanoflex are £35 RRP and come with thermal warmth as well as waterproofness. But if you don't want or need thermal fluff and want to keep water and wind out, the Shawa armwarmers are a good option. Just remember to size up.

Verdict

Water and wind-proof without fluffy insulation, these are well-designed to go fast in cold-to middling temps.